The Chicago Blackhawks made history Saturday at the 2016 NHL Draft. They drafted the first-ever true Belgian in the NHL by selecting goaltender Wouter Peeters with the No. 83 pick in the third round.
Two picks before Peeters was selected, the New York Rangers picked Sean Day, who was also born in Belgium. But Day moved to Canada before his family settled in the Detroit area. He holds Canadian citizenship and plays for Canada at the international level, while Peeters grew up in Belgium and would represent them internationally.
Peeters, who turns 18 on July 31, will join Jokerit of the KHL next season on a two-year contract. The 6-foot-5, 208-pound net minder posted a 3.27 goals-against average in 24 games for EC Salzburg II of RBHS U20 in Germany last season.
He’s the first goaltender drafted by the Hawks since Ivan Nalimov was selected in the sixth round in 2014 draft.